Psychiatric disorders among adolescents in the outpatient clinics of Al-Mounira General Hospital

Abstract

Background Psychiatric disorders are increasing among adolescents in the past 20–30 years owing to many social changes and increased stressors. Various emotional, cognitive, and behavioral disorders are prevalent among young generations all over the world. Providing data about prevalence of psychiatric disorders helps to justify the allocation of scarce resources and planning of health services. Aim To study the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents attending the outpatient clinics in Al-Mounira General Hospital. Patients and methods Sociodemographic data, history of physical and sexual abuse and bullying, history of psychiatric illness, and parental history were taken. Assessments were done using Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview for Children and Adolescent scale. Results The sample (n=501) included 59.5% females and 40.5% males, with an age range from 10 to 19 years, of which 481 (96%) lived in urban and 20 (4%) lived in rural areas. Most of our cases were living in mid-income households and were subjected to sexual abuse (42.3%), physical abuse (24%), and bullying (21.8%). The most common psychiatric disorders were anxiety disorders in 5%, major depression (MD) in 2.2%, dysthymia in 4.2%, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 3%, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in 4.2%, and conduct disorder in 1.6%. Substance use disorders were estimated to reach 17.4% of our participants. Conclusions This study revealed that nearly 1/10 of adolescents experience at least one type of psychiatric disorder, with a higher prevalence in girls than in boys. Mood and anxiety disorders were higher among females, whereas behavior disorders were higher among males.